ATLANTA – “Canadian Pickers,” the most popular collectibles reality TV show in Canada, and WorthPoint, the world’s leading online resource for collectors, have agreed to work cooperatively in bringing additional expert knowledge to the show’s web site. The site will include articles and other published information from WorthPoint’s Worthologists (subject-matter experts) on a wide range of topics, from a beginner’s guide to auctions to the finer points of collecting specific objects, such as first edition books or duck decoys. Worthologists also may be asked to contribute perspectives on various topics that arise from TV viewers and site visitors.

Worthologists supplement their expert advice with data from WorthPoint’s Worthopedia, the industry’s most comprehensive price guide that includes more than 100 million global auction results aggregated from eBay, virtual marketplaces and leading auction houses. Site visitors will see selected Worthopedia data from time to time in articles as well as in forum postings.

Will Seippel, WorthPoint CEO, said, “We look forward to putting our full complement of resources behind Canadian Pickers. Published material from Worthologists and data from our price guide are just the start. We have just introduced an iPhone/iPad application, and early next year we will introduce an online Marks Library, both of which will be perfect partners for any true ‘Picker’.”

‘Great Big American Auction’ Premiers Dec. 8

ABC has announced that it will air “The Great Big American Auction,” in a very special television first made-for-TV auction event, at 10 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, Dec. 8. The show will star Ty Pennington of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” one of America’s leading reality TV personalities, and feature exclusively Heritage Auctions’ experts, auction services and staff.

The special was produced by Cineflix (Auction) Inc. for ABC. Executive Producers are Lisa Levenson, Pennington, Joe Houlihan and Simon Lloyd.

Pennington has been transforming people’s homes and lives for several years now as the host of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and has now found an exciting new way to change lives by turning their memorabilia and assorted hidden finds into treasures worth life-changing amounts of money.

After scouring flea markets, cellars, attics and yard sales to find one-of-a-kind items whose owners have no idea of their real value, Pennington, with a team of experts from Heritage Auctions, tags the best items and brings them to The Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, Ca., for “The Great Big American Auction.” The exceptional collectibles range from first edition classic comic books to rare American currency to an early 20th century baseball icon’s checkbook, and much more in-between, all chosen for their rarity, value and the uniqueness of the consignor’s story.

“It’s a great thrill to be part of this major network, prime time show, to work with Cineflex and ABC and a star the magnitude and class of Ty Pennington,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “We went to great lengths with our staff and experts to make sure that all these unique items have great stories and that they live up to Heritage’s exacting consignment standards. We hope that everyone will enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed being a part of it.”

Objects originally bought for mere dollars, or literally plucked right out the trash will go for thousands of dollars as their lucky owners’ lives are changed for the better.